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Badgers are medium-sized mammals with a skunk-like head with a white stripe and a body that looks like a small wolverine. Like the wolverine, they are known for their aggressiveness and toughness. Males reach about 20 pounds in weight and just over 2 feet in length. They have a reputation for being bad, but is it because they are hungry? Probably not, they are picky about food and have a flexible diet. Let’s find out what badgers eat.
How do badgers hunt?
Badgers are diggers! Their bodies are definitely made for this. They have long claws and a sturdy body that lies flat on the ground. They use their claws to dig out rodents, and have even watched them clog the burrows of rodents to drive out their prey. Common rodents that they can hunt include rats, mice, and rabbits. Common insects they can dig up include earthworms, larvae, and slugs. Honey badgers do not hunt bees, but they do not mind walking up to a hive full of bees to enjoy the sweet larvae of the bees.
What do badgers eat?
Badgers are omnivorous and have a varied diet. Their main food source is rodents, which they dig up. They also eat various insects such as earthworms and larvae, and are not afraid of lizards, snakes or even scorpions. They don’t eat much vegetation, but they do eat corn, legumes, and fruits. Interestingly, the badger is one of the few animals that eat hedgehogs. They can pierce the spiky shell with their large claws and sharp teeth.
A complete list of what badgers eat:
- Rodents
- mice
- Rats
- Rabbits
- Hedgehogs
- Lizards
- Scorpions
- Snakes
- Insects
- Earthworms
- Slugs
- Larvae
- Corn
- Legumes
- Fruits
- Bee larvae (honey badgers)
Do badgers hunt alone?
Badgers are solitary hunters as they do not hunt with other badgers, but there is a unique relationship with coyotes. It is not known if they work together on purpose or if they just benefit from hunting in the same area, but how it works, badgers find prey underground and dig it up, and coyotes chase them. Badgers are not fast runners, they have short, stocky legs, but coyotes are quick and can grab their prey when it tries to escape. In turn, coyotes often push their prey back into their burrow, where the badger can access them for dinner.
Is it true that badgers can eat venomous animals such as snakes and scorpions?
Yes! The venom of these animals does not seem to work on badgers; they appear to be immune to poison. It only adds to the badger reputation!
Do honey badgers eat honey?
Honey badgers actually love to eat the sweet bee larvae found in honey. But I bet they don’t mind honey either! How do they avoid bee stings? They don’t. They will tolerate bee stings to enjoy the sweet treat. It is believed that due to their high tolerance to venom, the effects of bee stings may be minimal. But there were cases when honey badgers died immediately from too many bee stings.
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